Hiring and Retaining the Right Staff

The next few posts will be devoted to the important topic of hiring and retaining the right staff. Let’s start with it in a nutshell:

1. First you need to understand your firm in a holistic manner. The missing link you need to hire for may already be clear… or in may not be.

2. This is an important factor as hiring for the wrong reason or the wrong person can impede the progress you’re trying to make.

3. Understanding your current Culture and preferred Culture can clarify the hire you need to make – not only skill set and attributes… values, interpersonal – need to be aligned with your firm’s Culture.

4, You’ll need a clear job description – know what you’re hiring for AND can communicate accurately to the candidates what they are applying for. After the hire, this description manages the expectations of both the employer and employee.

5. You need to identify the attributes/key competencies that are affiliated with the individual components/tasks of the job that you’re looking for.

6. With this clarity, the interview process is easier, using the best methods to evaluate who the best candidate is for the job.

7. Once the candidate is hired, appropriate training is a must for that specific person. The hire may come with the key competencies and attributes BUT they need to know expectations and requirements of YOUR firm. They also need to be trained until they demonstrate AND feel competence.

8. To retain your employee, they need to feel welcomed, experience a mutual commitment – them to you and you to them, be nurtured, cared for, feel valued, and have a strong sense of belonging and contributing to the firm.

Simple, right?!